Guns and Schools
During the film “Apollo 13” you see how the average United States citizen developed apathy toward the space program. By the time Apollo 13 was launched, space travel was not new and exciting anymore. Networks were happier to run “I Dream of Jeannie” rather than footage of these heroes in space.
It was not until there was trouble that anyone paid attention.
I worry that the same thing is going to happen with shootings in schools. Yesterday, a student was able to bring a 9 mm handgun into a Chicago school. He was showing it off to friends when it discharged by accident, wounding its owner and another boy.
Both are expected to recover and there is no evidence that there was a planned attack. That said, we still have the issue that the boy BROUGHT A GUN TO SCHOOL!!!
The south side of Chicago is a rough place. There have been plenty of songs written about organized crime, gangs and disorganized crime in the area. At the school in question yesterday, there were security officers and metal detectors due to a previous shooting.
Still, someone was able to bring a gun into the school.
That begs the next questions: How does a fifteen year old boy get his hands on a 9mm handgun? The first look is toward the parents. Then you look for older siblings. Then you look to where he spends his time. This boy did not build this gun in metal shop. He either purchased it somehow or, knowingly or unknowingly, borrowed it from someone.
I am not a big believer in gun control. I feel that gun control tends to control those people who are already responsible with their firearms. They are not the ones who need controlling. There does not need to be an outright ban on firearms in this country.
Still, laws can be tightened. You can make statistics say anything, but there are statistics that show that in areas with tougher laws, the number of homicides, crimes involving handguns and/or fatal accidents have declined.
Guns do not belong in schools, shopping malls or anywhere there are crowds of people. Guns belong on firing ranges and in marked hunting territories. Guns also belong with people licensed to protect us.
The story about the fifteen year old boy yesterday was front page news relegated to the inside pages because his name was not famous and his intent was not malicious. Still, there was a gun inside a school. People were hurt.
Can we not stop this?
Thank you for reading. We will talk again soon.
It was not until there was trouble that anyone paid attention.
I worry that the same thing is going to happen with shootings in schools. Yesterday, a student was able to bring a 9 mm handgun into a Chicago school. He was showing it off to friends when it discharged by accident, wounding its owner and another boy.
Both are expected to recover and there is no evidence that there was a planned attack. That said, we still have the issue that the boy BROUGHT A GUN TO SCHOOL!!!
The south side of Chicago is a rough place. There have been plenty of songs written about organized crime, gangs and disorganized crime in the area. At the school in question yesterday, there were security officers and metal detectors due to a previous shooting.
Still, someone was able to bring a gun into the school.
That begs the next questions: How does a fifteen year old boy get his hands on a 9mm handgun? The first look is toward the parents. Then you look for older siblings. Then you look to where he spends his time. This boy did not build this gun in metal shop. He either purchased it somehow or, knowingly or unknowingly, borrowed it from someone.
I am not a big believer in gun control. I feel that gun control tends to control those people who are already responsible with their firearms. They are not the ones who need controlling. There does not need to be an outright ban on firearms in this country.
Still, laws can be tightened. You can make statistics say anything, but there are statistics that show that in areas with tougher laws, the number of homicides, crimes involving handguns and/or fatal accidents have declined.
Guns do not belong in schools, shopping malls or anywhere there are crowds of people. Guns belong on firing ranges and in marked hunting territories. Guns also belong with people licensed to protect us.
The story about the fifteen year old boy yesterday was front page news relegated to the inside pages because his name was not famous and his intent was not malicious. Still, there was a gun inside a school. People were hurt.
Can we not stop this?
Thank you for reading. We will talk again soon.
Labels: Education, news, Social Justice
posted by Alexander Dimm | 5:21 AM
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